Do You Want To Run Again Without The Aches and Pains?

After working tirelessly towards a goal, it can be devastating when the unexpected happens. Maybe it's an injury, or you get sick, or maybe your car won't start before a big interview. If there's one thing we can all count on it's that we have to expect the unexpected. But even when we know that setbacks, speed bumps, and detours are inevitable, they are always difficult to manage. 

How To Deal When An Injury Derails Your Mental and Physical Training- Meet Loreen Studdley 

Shortly after Loreen Studdley moved to the Greater Rochester Region, she suffered an injury that inevitably threw much more than her balance off.  Loreen is in her late forties, she is a beloved wife, care-giver and dog-mom who has a passion for running. She quickly noticed how beneficial running was to her mental health as well as her physical health after her first time training. 

The Set Back

One afternoon, Loreen took off for an easy 10 mile run. Upon approaching mile 6, she realized something was wrong. Her foot started to ache, and this pain was unusual and something that she had never experienced before. Although the pain was uncomfortable, she was committed to 2 more miles before she would take a break and re-evaluate the pain. As Loreen came to mile 8, the pain had intensified and forced Loreen to slow down and stop.  She removed her sneakers to examine her foot to see if there were signs of bruising or anything unusual. Everything seemed normal, so she massaged her foot for a few minutes, tied up her shoes, and figured she could finish the rest of her run.  Moments following, she realized that the pain was not going away. At this very moment, Loreen couldn’t help but panic because she has never felt pain like this before. All Loreen could think about was how devastating this is going to be if this pain is as serious as it feels.  Due to the intense pain that Loreen was in, her only option was to call for help. After nearly a decade of running, she had never once needed to call for help. While Loreen pondered the situation, she thought about her next steps. With little hesitation, she knew that she must find a healthcare provider who understands her passion and urgency to run again, while also providing her with trustworthy care.  Upon Loreen’s rescue, she knew that she must establish a plan in order for her to get back to doing what she loves to do as quickly as possible. Loreen felt strongly about finding the best plan of care, and was inevitably referred by her Podiatrist to Limitless. 

Initial Evaluation

When Loreen came into Limitless for her initial evaluation; she was in good spirits and eager to learn, heal and get back on the road. Loreen’s passion for running was evident, it pained her to know that she had to place running on the back burner for sometime until she was healed.  During the initial evaluation with Loreen, Dr. Dan could not stress enough how important it is that they work together to get her back on the road.  Dr. Dan expressed to Loreen that no one should have to miss out on doing the things they love because of a physical limitation, Loreen agreed and they set out on this journey together.  Loreen immediately felt like she “hit the jackpot with Limitless,” and it was time to create a plan. At the conclusion of Loreen’s initial evaluation, Dr. Dan and Loreen established a customized plan of care; she would return to running as quickly and safely as possible.   

Plan of Care

The initial phase of the plan included hands-on therapy to decrease the acute symptoms in the foot.  Also, we focused on the many options available for fitness and strengthening that Loreen could safely complete.  As symptoms resolved, Dr. Dan and Loreen shifted gears to the second phase of the program which included strength training from the hips all the way down to the small muscles in her feet that are needed to safely build running mileage for a marathon program.

Throughout Loreen’s recovery, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed working out at Physical Therapy with the level of intensity that she brought to each appointment.  As strength progressed Loreen gradually incorporated impact exercises and walk to run programming to safely transition back to pain free running.  Throughout Loreen’s time at Limitless, she slowly uncovered the reasons why it is important to slow down and take one’s time during their healing process. Loreen’s plan of care was strategic and crafted specifically for her needs, together Loreen and Dr. Dan knew that they needed to avoid any possible setbacks. 

From Derailed to Back on Track!

The pain on the outside of Loreen’s foot is officially GONE and in Loreen’s rear view mirror and long distance running is in the foreseeable future!  Loreen is now fully recovered, she successfully is running 5 miles a few times a week with no pain, and she is progressing her mileage in order to get back to her marathon running distance. Although Loreen knows that she will have to work very hard at gaining her stamina back to run a marathon again, she is confident in knowing that she is now doing it right.  “Happy Loreen” is officially back! 

Ready to find relief?

The sooner you seek physical therapy for foot pain, the better. Research shows that patients who rehab their foot pain with physical therapy within 15 days of symptom onset have less need for pain injections, medications, or surgical intervention.

Tired of spending every day in pain?

Contact our clinic today to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist and heal from the inside out.